Wild have agreed to terms with college UFA defenseman Christian Folin (UMass-Lowell). Was most coveted college UFA on the market.

Makes sense. If I was a defenseman looking to earn an NHL salary as soon as possible without having to play for a laughingstock, the Wild (whose big offseason blueline acquisitions were Keith Ballard and Jonathon Blum) would seem like an ideal match.

Forwards Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings, Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks are the three finalists for the 2013-14 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award For Excellence In Award-Worthy Leadership And Other Stuff That’s Sponsored By A Tire Company.

This award is given to “the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season”; you know, stuff that’s already covered by the Hart Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award and the NHL Foundation Player Award and various other postseason trinkets. But this one has 100 percent more Mark Messier.